CERKES TAVUGU

Circassian Chicken!

INGREDIENTS:

1 4-lb. chicken
2 cups shelled walnuts
3 slices white bread
1 onion
1 carrot
1 bunch parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 qts. water
Here is a famous Turkish cold chicken speciality which would rate a place
of honor at any buffet supper. It features a spiced sauce of ground
walnuts.
Stew chicken gently in covered pot with water, carrot, onion, parsley, salt
and pepper for two hours, or until very tender. Skim. You may use the
pressure cooker, in which case reduce the water to one quart and shorten
the cooking time to 30 minutes under pressure. Let chicken cool in broth.
Reserve the stock. Take meat from bones, discarding skin. Dice the meat,
or leave it in individual pieces for serving.
Prepare sauce by grinding walnuts twice through the fine blade of the
meat grinder. Add paprika to the walnuts and press this in a fine
cheesecloth to extract the red oil which will be used later to garnish the
dish. Soak bread in chicken stock, squeeze dry and combine with
walnuts. Grind three times through the blade of meat grinder, or buzz in
the electric blender, slowly adding one cup chicken stock to make a paste.
To serve, place the diced or sliced chicken on a serving plattet and
spread it with the walnut paste. Sprinkle it with the walnut oil. Some cooks
mix the diced chicken with half the walnut paste, reserving the other half
to spread on top. Serve this dish cold.